Bruce Hwy: $800m to fast-track billion-dollar upgrade

BREAKING: A billion-dollar upgrade of the Bruce Hwy will be fast-tracked after the Federal Government today allocated $800 million to the project.

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Federal MP Llew O'Brien will officially announce the allocation of $800 million in Federal Government funding to begin construction of the 26km Section D this afternoon.

The project involves a 62km realignment and upgrade of the Bruce Highway to four lanes between Cooroy and Curra, including a bypass of Gympie, and is among Queensland's highest priority road projects.

It is designed to meet strategic transport needs of the Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions well into the future.

State Gympie MP Tony Perrett has called on the Labor Government to now honour its pre-election pledge of the $200 million it will need to chip in for the massive, game-changing undertaking.